US Mideast Special Envoy: Palestinians Need to Come to Terms With Reality

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US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt (center), sits with Tzachi Hanegbi (left), Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation and Palestinian Authority Water head Mazen Ghuneim during a press conference. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS.org – US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt slammed the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday, saying it has not come to terms with reality.

“PA officials criticize…@AmbJohnBolton and @USAmbIsrael visit to historic Jewish areas of Jerusalem. Will these officials ever realize that peace can only be built on truth and reality?” Greenblatt tweeted.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman were given a guided tour of the Western Wall and the adjacent tunnels earlier this week, drawing condemnation from PA officials who said this was in contravention of international law.

“You cannot wipe away truth or history. Time to get serious!” Greenblatt continued in his tweet.

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In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of American policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and several months later moved the US embassy to the city.

Greenblatt and other administration officials said the US decision did not prejudice the final status of the city as part of a negotiated settlement, as it simply recognized the reality that the city is and will continue to be Israel’s seat of government. The PA, which was outraged by the move, has boycotted the administration ever since.

“Hamas again converts toys into weapons to harm Israelis (likely children, in particular). The drone had a Gaza engineering college logo. Those students have a choice – pursue terror/go nowhere OR use knowledge to improve lives. Time to take responsibility!” Greenblatt tweeted.

Greenblatt and other senior officials in the administration have been working on a peace plan that has been dubbed the “deal of the century.”

This week the administration said the plan was all but complete but would not be unveiled for a few months, partly because of the upcoming Knesset election on April 9.